ISSUE FOCUS 32 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2022 the ban on intra-species recycling. However, the European Commission (EC) has recently lifted the ban of including PAP in monogastric feeds and thus they can once again be included in poultry and pig feeds, but as mentioned above, the intra-specie-recycling ban remains in place. The lifting of this ban not only benefits the animals, as better amino acid profiles can be maintained, but it is also a sustainable approach as the feed ingredients are local which reduces the cost of the final feed remarkably and it gives feed formulators more options of proteins to include in the diet5. • Insects The concept of insects consumed as a source of protein is by no means a new concept and countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have long been incorporating insects in their diets, and still do. Insects are an easily digestible protein and contain an excellent amino acid profile, which makes them the ideal source of protein for use in animal feeds6. There are numerous benefits to substitute conventional protein sources with insects, one of them being that insects are able to feed on biowaste such as food waste and compost, which makes insect farming an attractive venture as it would potentially benefit the environment because of the reduction in waste. The somewhat complicated part lies in the regulations imposed on the process of farming with insects, by the EC. Currently, farmed insects are only allowed to be fed vegetal materials and in certain cases, eggs, milk, honey, rendered fat or blood from non-ruminant animals. It is prohibited to feed catering waste, manure, or slaughterhouse products. Insects are considered animal by-products and need to be registered to use in animal feed following Regulation No 2001/999.7 Much like other PAP´s, certain restrictions are applicable on the feeding of insect protein in animal feeds. Up to date, insects can only be used in petfood, aquaculture and recently, monogastric diets, as explained in Table 1. There is still a ban on the use of insects in ruminant feeds. Currently there are 8 species of insects approved for use as protein sources. These are8: - Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) - Common house fly (Musca domestic) - Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) - Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) - House cricket (Acheta domsesticus) - Banded cricket (Gryllodes sigitallus) - Field cricket (Gryllus assimilis) - Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Companies who wish to produce insect proteins must register as feed business operators, which is standard practice for any company who produces feed ingredients. The same as for any other farmed animal, producers who farm insects also need to adhere to strict hygiene and animal welfare protocols as set out by the European Commission in Regulation (EC) 183/20058. • Earthworms A very promising source of protein especially for poultry and aquaculture, but more research is needed to ensure large scale farming is done in a sustainable manner. Up to date, no commercial earthworms, either whole or as meal are available for use in feeds in Europe9. • Seaweed Can be used in the diets of aquaculture as well as ruminant diets. These raw materials can currently Table 1. Target species allowed raw material of insect origin in their diet within the EU8 Cats and dogs Fish Poultry Pigs Fat √ √ √ √ Live √ √ √ √ Whole insects (not milled, dried of frozen) √ X X X Protein √ √ √* √* *Allowed as of 7 September 2021
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